Venus targets Singapore berth at Hong Kong Open

DPA/Hong Kong While the unseeded back-up cast at the Hong Kong Open got down to business on court yesterday, drawcard Venus Williams was working to produce a good week’s showing to help punch her ticket for a place in the WTA year-end wrap-up. The American stands provisional 11th in the points chase to the year-ender starting October 25 in Singapore. It’s an event she has not qualified for since it was held in Doha six years ago. After winning the Wuhan title eight days ago in a fast Asian autumn start, Williams then lost in the Beijing second round to Ana Ivanovic. But with her world number one sister Serena having ended her season early after a frustrating US Open semi-final loss, the door opened for Venus to possibly sneak a spot in the eight-player Singapore field. “This is it. This is my last tournament before the season-ending championship and my last chance to do well,” Williams said after arriving in thriving Hong Kong. “Hopefully I can enter the top seven or eight (ranking, from her current 14th). But it’s not going to be easy as there is a strong field here.” Six first-round matches were scheduled for Victoria Park at an event which has been dealt repeated blows at the box office with withdrawals from former grand slam winner Victoria Azarenka, 2014 Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard and only on Sunday, the injury enforced absence of world number four Garbine Muguruza. The Spaniard pulled the plug after winning the China Open, citing the ankle injury which forced her to quit the Wuhan final eight days ago against Williams. Two Asian players lost early, with Monica Puig beating Thailand’s Luksika Kumkhum 6-1, 6-2 and Lee Ya-Hsuan of Taiwan taking out South Korean Su Jeong Jang 6-3, 6-1. Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena defeated Irina Falconi 6-4, 6-3. Yaroslava Shvedova beat Australian Jarmila Gajdosova 6-4, 6-4 but Anastasia Rodionova earned an Aussie win as she beat Irina Ramialison of France 6-4, 7-5. American Williams is the “mother” of the Hong Kong field at age 35.  She is no stranger to the city, having played a previous exhibition tournament at Victoria Park for seven of eight years until it was ended in 2011. “I want to win here but no one is going to let me win. It won’t be easy and the pressure will be on me. But that’s the job and it’s all about how you handle it,” said Williams. “You need to have the right draw and you need to have some luck.” Williams has won 700 matches and 47 WTA titles but says that her 2015 resurgence is nothing special. “I’m just trying to play well. I don’t know if this is a comeback or a come-up, I just want to win matches and tournaments. I love the game. I love the thrill and the challenge it offers.” Toughest rival to Williams in the Singapore race will be German Angelique Kerber, standing provisional fifth ahead of Beijing finalist Timea Bacsinszky and Williams. Third-seeded Williams begins her Hong Kong campaign against lucky loser Yuliya Beygelzimer of the Ukraine.